New Coke Main article: New Coke The Las Vegas Strip World of Coca-Cola museum in 2003 On April 23, 1985, Coca-Cola, amid much publicity, attempted to change the formula of the drink with New Coke. Follow-up taste tests revealed most consumers preferred the taste of New Coke to both Coke and Pepsi[citation needed], but Coca-Cola management was unprepared for the publics nostalgia for the old drink, leading to a backlash. The company gave in to protests and returned to a variation of the old formula using high fructose corn syrup instead of cane sugar as the main sweetener, under the name Coca-Cola Classic, on July 10, 1985. 21st century On July 5, 2005, it was revealed that Coca-Cola would resume operations in Iraq for the first time since the Arab League boycotted the company in 1968.[36] In April 2007, in Canada, the name Coca-Cola Classic was changed back to Coca-Cola. The word Classic was removed because New Coke was no longer in production, eliminating the need to differentiate between the two.[37] The formula remained unchanged. In January 2009, Coca-Cola stopped printing the word Classic on the labels of 16-US-fluid-ounce (470 ml) bottles sold in parts of the southeastern United States.[38] The change is part of a larger strategy to rejuvenate the products image.[38] The word Classic was removed from all Coca-Cola products by 2011. In November 2009, due to a dispute over wholesale prices of Coca-Cola products, Costco stopped restocking its shelves with Coke and Diet Coke. However, some Costco locations (such as the ones in Tucson, Arizona), sell imported Coca-Cola from Mexico.[39] Coca-Cola introduced the 7.5-ounce mini-can in 2009, and on September 22, 2011, the company announced price reductions, asking retailers to sell eight-packs for $2.99. That same day, Coca-Cola announced the 12.5-ounce bottle, to sell for 89 cents. A 16-ounce bottle has sold well at 99 cents since being re-introduced, but the price was going up to $1.19.[40] In 2012, Coca-Cola would resume business in Myanmar after 60 years of absence due to U.S.-imposed investment sanctions against the country.[41][42] Coca-Colas bottling plant will be located in Yangon and is part of the companys five-year plan and $200 million investment in Myanmar.[43] Coca-Cola with its partners is to invest USD 5 billion in its operations in India by 2020.[44] In 2013, it was announced that Coca-Cola Life would be introduced in Argentina that would contain stevia and sugar.[45] In August 2014 the company announced it was forming a long-term partnership with Monster Beverage, with the two forging a strategic marketing and distribution alliance, and product line swap. As part of the deal Coca-Cola was to acquire a 16.7% stake in Monster for $2.15 billion, with an option to increase it to 25%.[46] Production Ingredients Carbonated water Sugar (sucrose or high-fructose corn syrup depending on country of origin) Caffeine Phosphoric acid Caramel color (E150d) Natural flavorings[47] A can of Coke (12 fl ounces/355 ml) has 39 grams of carbohydrates (all from sugar, approximately 10 teaspoons),[48] 50 mg of sodium, 0 grams fat, 0 grams potassium, and 140 calories.[49] Formula of natural flavorings Main article: Coca-Cola formula The exact formula of Coca-Colas natural flavorings (but not its other ingredients, which are listed on the side of the bottle or can) is a trade secret. The original copy of the formula was held in SunTrust Banks main vault in Atlanta for 86 years. Its predecessor, the Trust Company, was the underwriter for the Coca-Cola Companys initial public offering in 1919. On December 8, 2011, the original secret formula was moved from the vault at SunTrust Banks to a new vault containing the formula which will be on display for visitors to its World of Coca-Cola museum in downtown Atlanta.[50] Coca-Cola Museum in Atlanta, Georgia A popular myth states that only two executives have access to the formula, with each executive having only half the formula.[51] The truth is that while Coca-Cola does have a rule restricting access to only two executives, each knows the entire formula and others, in addition to the prescribed duo, have known the formulation process.[52] On February 11, 2011, Ira Glass revealed on his PRI radio show, This American Life, that the secret formula to Coca-Cola had been uncovered in a 1979 newspaper. The formula found basically matched the formula found in Pembertons diary.[53][54][55][56] Use of stimulants in formula An early Coca Cola advertisement. When launched, Coca-Colas two key ingredients were cocaine and caffeine. The cocaine was derived from the coca leaf and the caffeine from kola nut, leading to the name Coca-Cola (the K in Kola was replaced with a C for marketing purposes).[57][58] Coca – cocaine Pemberton called for five ounces of coca leaf per gallon of syrup, a significant dose; in 1891, Candler claimed his formula (altered extensively from Pembertons original) contained only a tenth of this amount. Coca-Cola once contained an estimated nine milligrams of cocaine per glass. In 1903, it was removed.[59] After 1904, instead of using fresh leaves, Coca-Cola started using spent leaves – the leftovers of the cocaine-extraction process with trace levels of cocaine.[60] Coca-Cola now uses a cocaine-free coca leaf extract prepared at a Stepan Company plant in Maywood, New Jersey.[61] In the United States, the Stepan Company is the only manufacturing plant authorized by the Federal Government to import and process the coca plant,[62] which it obtains mainly from Peru and, to a lesser extent, Bolivia. Besides producing the coca flavoring agent for Coca-Cola, the Stepan Company extracts cocaine from the coca leaves, which it sells to Mallinckrodt, a St. Louis, Missouri, pharmaceutical manufacturer that is the only company in the United States licensed to purify cocaine for medicinal use.[63] Kola nuts – caffeine Kola nuts act as a flavoring and the source of caffeine in Coca-Cola. In Britain, for example, the ingredient label states Flavourings (Including Caffeine).[64] Kola nuts contain about 2.0 to 3.5% caffeine, are of bitter flavor and are commonly used in cola soft drinks. In 1911, the U.S. government initiated United States v. Forty Barrels and Twenty Kegs of Coca-Cola, hoping to force Coca-Cola to remove caffeine from its formula. The case was decided in favor of Coca-Cola. Subsequently, in 1912, the U.S. Pure Food and Drug Act was amended, adding caffeine to the list of habit-forming and deleterious substances which must be listed on a products label. Coca-Cola contains 34 mg of caffeine per 12 fluid ounces (9.8 mg per 100 ml).[65] Franchised production model The actual production and distribution of Coca-Cola follows a franchising model. The Coca-Cola Company only produces a syrup concentrate, which it sells to bottlers throughout the world, who hold Coca-Cola franchises for one or more geographical areas. The bottlers produce the final drink by mixing the syrup with filtered water and sweeteners, and then carbonate it before putting it in cans and bottles, which the bottlers then sell and distribute to retail stores, vending machines, restaurants and food service distributors.[66] The Coca-Cola Company owns minority shares in some of its largest franchises, such as Coca-Cola Enterprises, Coca-Cola Amatil, Coca-Cola Hellenic Bottling Company and Coca-Cola FEMSA, but fully independent bottlers produce almost half of the volume sold in the world. Independent bottlers are allowed to sweeten the drink according to local tastes.[67] The bottling plant in Skopje, Macedonia, received the 2009 award for Best Bottling Company.[68] On May 5, 2014, Coca-Cola said they are working to remove a controversial ingredient, brominated vegetable oil, from all of their drinks.[69] Geographic spread Since it announced its intention to begin distribution in Burma in June 2012, Coca-Cola has been officially available in every country in the world except Cuba and North Korea.[70] However, it is reported to be available in both countries as a grey import.[71][72] Coca-Cola has been a point of legal discussion in the Middle East. In the early 20th century, a fatwa was created in Egypt to discuss the question of whether Muslims were permitted to drink Coca-Cola and Pepsi cola.[73] The fatwa states: According to the Muslim Hanefite, Shafiite, etc., the rule in Islamic law of forbidding or allowing foods and beverages is based on the presumption that such things are permitted unless it can be shown that they are forbidden on the basis of the Quran.[73] The Muslim jurists stated that, unless the Quran specifically prohibits the consumption of a particular product, it is permissible to consume. Another clause was discussed, whereby the same rules apply if a person is unaware of the condition or ingredients of the item in question. Brand portfolio This is a list of variants of Coca-Cola introduced around the world. In addition to the caffeine-free version of the original, additional fruit flavors have been included over the years. Not included here are versions of Diet Coke and Coca-Cola Zero; variant versions of those no-calorie colas can be found at their respective articles. Name Launched Discontinued Notes Coca-Cola 1886 The original version of Coca-Cola. Caffeine-Free Coca-Cola 1983 The caffeine free version of Coca-Cola. Coca-Cola Cherry 1985 Was available in Canada starting in 1996. Called Cherry Coca-Cola (Cherry Coke) in North America until 2006. New Coke/Coca-Cola II 1985 2002 Was still available in Yap and American Samoa[citation needed] Coca-Cola with Lemon 2001 2005 Available in: Australia, American Samoa, Austria, Belgium, Brazil, China, Denmark, Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina, Finland, France, Germany, Hong Kong, Iceland, Korea, Luxembourg, Macau, Malaysia, Mongolia, Netherlands, New Caledonia, New Zealand, Réunion, Singapore, Spain, Switzerland, Taiwan, Tunisia, United Kingdom, United States, and West Bank-Gaza Coca-Cola Vanilla 2002; 2007; 2013 2005; Available in: Austria, Australia, China, Czech Republic, Finland, Germany, Hong Kong, New Zealand, Malaysia, Slovakia, South-Africa, Sweden, United Kingdom and United States. It was reintroduced in June 2007 by popular demand. Coca-Cola with Lime 2005 Available in Belgium, Netherlands, Singapore, Canada, the United Kingdom, and the United States. Coca-Cola Raspberry June 2005 End of 2005 Was only available in New Zealand. Currently available in the United States in Coca-Cola Freestyle fountain since 2009. Coca-Cola Black Cherry Vanilla 2006 Middle of 2007 Was replaced by Vanilla Coke in June 2007 Coca-Cola Blāk 2006 Beginning of 2008 Only available in the United States, France, Canada, Czech Republic, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria and Lithuania Coca-Cola Citra 2006 Only available in Bosnia and Herzegovina, New Zealand and Japan. Coca-Cola Orange 2007 Was available in the United Kingdom and Gibraltar for a limited time. In Germany, Austria and Switzerland its sold under the label Mezzo Mix. Currently available in Coca-Cola Freestyle fountain outlets in the United States since 2009. Coca-Cola Life 2013 Only available in Chile and Argentina. Logo design The Coca-Cola logo was created by John Pembertons bookkeeper, Frank Mason Robinson, in 1885.[74] Robinson came up with the name and chose the logos distinctive cursive script. The typeface used, known as Spencerian script, was developed in the mid-19th century and was the dominant form of formal handwriting in the United States during that period. Robinson also played a significant role in early Coca-Cola advertising. His promotional suggestions to Pemberton included giving away thousands of free drink coupons and plastering the city of Atlanta with publicity banners and streetcar signs.[75] Contour bottle design Coke bottle redirects here. For the song, see Coke Bottle (song). The Coca-Cola bottle, called the contour bottle within the company, was created by bottle designer Earl R. Dean. In 1915, the Coca-Cola Company launched a competition among its bottle suppliers to create a new bottle for their beverage that would distinguish it from other beverage bottles, a bottle which a person could recognize even if they felt it in the dark, and so shaped that, even if broken, a person could tell at a glance what it was.[76] Chapman J. Root, president of the Root Glass Company of Terre Haute, Indiana, turned the project over to members of his supervisory staff, including company auditor T. Clyde Edwards, plant superintendent Alexander Samuelsson, and Earl R. Dean, bottle designer and supervisor of the bottle molding room. Root and his subordinates decided to base the bottles design on one of the sodas two ingredients, the coca leaf or the kola nut, but were unaware of what either ingredient looked like. Dean and Edwards went to the Emeline Fairbanks Memorial Library and were unable to find any information about coca or kola. Instead, Dean was inspired by a picture of the gourd-shaped cocoa pod in the Encyclopædia Britannica. Dean made a rough sketch of the pod and returned to the plant to show Root. He explained to Root how he could transform the shape of the pod into a bottle. Root gave Dean his approval.[76] Faced with the upcoming scheduled maintenance of the mold-making machinery, over the next 24 hours Dean sketched out a concept drawing which was approved by Root the next morning. Dean then proceeded to create a bottle mold and produced a small number of bottles before the glass-molding machinery was turned off.[77] Chapman Root approved the prototype bottle and a design patent was issued on the bottle in November 1915. The prototype never made it to production since its middle diameter was larger than its base, making it unstable on conveyor belts. Dean resolved this issue by decreasing the bottles middle diameter. During the 1916 bottlers convention, Deans contour bottle was chosen over other entries and was on the market the same year. By 1920, the contour bottle became the standard for the Coca-Cola Company. Today, the contour Coca-Cola bottle is one of the most recognized packages on the planet...even in the dark!.[28] As a reward for his efforts, Dean was offered a choice between a $500 bonus or a lifetime job at the Root Glass Company. He chose the lifetime job and kept it until the Owens-Illinois Glass Company bought out the Root Glass Company in the mid-1930s. Dean went on to work in other Midwestern glass factories.[citation needed] One alternative depiction has Raymond Loewy as the inventor of the unique design, but, while Loewy did serve as a designer of Coke cans and bottles in later years, he was in the French Army the year the bottle was invented and did not emigrate to the United States until 1919. Others have attributed inspiration for the design not to the cocoa pod, but to a Victorian hooped dress.[78] In 1944, Associate Justice Roger J. Traynor of the Supreme Court of California took advantage of a case involving a waitress injured by an exploding Coca-Cola bottle to articulate the doctrine of strict liability for defective products. Traynors concurring opinion in Escola v. Coca-Cola Bottling Co. is widely recognized as a landmark case in U.S. law today.[79] In 2007, the companys logo on cans and bottles changed. The cans and bottles retained the red color and familiar typeface, but the design was simplified, leaving only the logo and a plain white swirl (the dynamic ribbon).[citation needed] Types The classic Coca-Cola contour bottle design Earl R. Deans original 1915 concept drawing of the contour Coca-Cola bottle The prototype never made it to production since its middle diameter was larger than its base, making it unstable on conveyor belts. Two Chinese Coke bottles, a 200 ml glass bottle, which is becoming less common, and a 300 ml plastic bottle that is now widely available. Designer bottles Karl Lagerfeld is the latest designer to have created a collection of aluminum bottles for Coca-Cola. Lagerfeld is not the first fashion designer to create a special version of the famous Coca-Cola Contour bottle. A number of other limited edition bottles by fashion designers for Coca Cola Light soda have been created in the last few years. In 2009, in Italy, Coca-Cola Light had a Tribute to Fashion to celebrate 100 years of the recognizable contour bottle. Well known Italian designers Alberta Ferretti, Blumarine, Etro, Fendi, Marni, Missoni, Moschino, and Versace each designed limited edition bottles.[80] Competitors Pepsi, the flagship product of PepsiCo, The Coca-Cola Companys main rival in the soft drink industry, is usually second to Coke in sales, and outsells Coca-Cola in some markets. RC Cola, now owned by the Dr Pepper Snapple Group, the third largest soft drink manufacturer, is also widely available.[citation needed] Around the world, many local brands compete with Coke. In South and Central America Kola Real, known as Big Cola in Mexico, is a growing competitor to Coca-Cola.[81] On the French island of Corsica, Corsica Cola, made by brewers of the local Pietra beer, is a growing competitor to Coca-Cola. In the French region of Brittany, Breizh Cola is available. In Peru, Inca Kola outsells Coca-Cola, which led The Coca-Cola Company to purchase the brand in 1999. In Sweden, Julmust outsells Coca-Cola during the Christmas season.[82] In Scotland, the locally produced Irn-Bru was more popular than Coca-Cola until 2005, when Coca-Cola and Diet Coke began to outpace its sales.[83] In India, Coca-Cola ranked third behind the leader, Pepsi-Cola, and local drink Thums Up. The Coca-Cola Company purchased Thums Up in 1993.[84] As of 2004, Coca-Cola held a 60.9% market-share in India.[85] Tropicola, a domestic drink, is served in Cuba instead of Coca-Cola, due to a United States embargo. French brand Mecca Cola and British brand Qibla Cola are competitors to Coca-Cola in the Middle East.[citation needed] In Turkey, Cola Turka, in Iran and the Middle East, Zam Zam Cola and Parsi Cola, in some parts of China, China Cola, in Slovenia, Cockta and the inexpensive Mercator Cola, sold only in the countrys biggest supermarket chain, Mercator, are some of the brands competitors. Classiko Cola, made by Tiko Group, the largest manufacturing company in Madagascar, is a serious competitor to Coca-Cola in many regions. Laranjada is the top-selling soft drink on Madeira.[citation needed] Advertising See also: Coca-Cola slogans An 1890s advertisement showing model Hilda Clark in formal 19th century attire. The ad is titled Drink Coca-Cola 5¢. (US). Coca-Cola ghost sign in Fort Dodge, Iowa. Older Coca-Cola ghosts behind Borax and telephone ads. Coca-Colas advertising has significantly affected American culture, and it is frequently credited with inventing the modern image of Santa Claus as an old man in a red-and-white suit. Although the company did start using the red-and-white Santa image in the 1930s, with its winter advertising campaigns illustrated by Haddon Sundblom, the motif was already common.[86][87] Coca-Cola was not even the first soft drink company to use the modern image of Santa Claus in its advertising: White Rock Beverages used Santa in advertisements for its ginger ale in 1923, after first using him to sell mineral water in 1915.[88][89] Before Santa Claus, Coca-Cola relied on images of smartly dressed young women to sell its beverages. Coca-Colas first such advertisement appeared in 1895, featuring the young Bostonian actress Hilda Clark as its spokeswoman. 1941 saw the first use of the nickname Coke as an official trademark for the product, with a series of advertisements informing consumers that Coke means Coca-Cola.[90] In 1971 a song from a Coca-Cola commercial called Id Like to Teach the World to Sing, produced by Billy Davis, became a hit single. Coca-Cola sales booth on the Cape Verde island of Fogo in 2004. Coke advertisement – 2013 Cokes advertising is pervasive, as one of Woodruffs stated goals was to ensure that everyone on Earth drank Coca-Cola as their preferred beverage. This is especially true in southern areas of the United States, such as Atlanta, where Coke was born. Some Coca-Cola television commercials between 1960 through 1986 were written and produced by former Atlanta radio veteran Don Naylor (WGST 1936–1950, WAGA 1951–1959) during his career as a producer for the McCann Erickson advertising agency. Many of these early television commercials for Coca-Cola featured movie stars, sports heroes and popular singers. During the 1980s, Pepsi-Cola ran a series of television advertisements showing people participating in taste tests demonstrating that, according to the commercials, fifty percent of the participants who said they preferred Coke actually chose the Pepsi. Statisticians pointed out the problematic nature of a 50/50 result: most likely, the taste tests showed that in blind tests, most people cannot tell the difference between Pepsi and Coke. Coca-Cola ran ads to combat Pepsis ads in an incident sometimes referred to as the cola wars; one of Cokes ads compared the so-called Pepsi challenge to two chimpanzees deciding which tennis ball was furrier. Thereafter, Coca-Cola regained its leadership in the market. Selena was a spokesperson for Coca-Cola from 1989 till the time of her death. She filmed three commercials for the company. During 1994, to commemorate her five years with the company, Coca-Cola issued special Selena coke bottles.[91] The Coca-Cola Company purchased Columbia Pictures in 1982, and began inserting Coke-product images into many of its films. After a few early successes during Coca-Colas ownership, Columbia began to under-perform, and the studio was sold to Sony in 1989. Coca-Cola has gone through a number of different advertising slogans in its long history, including The pause that refreshes, Id like to buy the world a Coke, and Coke is it (see Coca-Cola slogans). In 2006, Coca-Cola introduced My Coke Rewards, a customer loyalty campaign where consumers earn points by entering codes from specially marked packages of Coca-Cola products into a website. These points can be redeemed for various prizes or sweepstakes entries.[92] In Australia in 2011, Coca-Cola began the share a Coke campaign, where the Coca-Cola logo was replaced on the bottles and replaced with first names. Coca-Cola used the 150 most popular names in Australia to print on the bottles.[93][94][95] The campaign was paired with a website page, Facebook page and an online share a virtual Coke. The same campaign was introduced to Coca-Cola, Diet Coke & Coke Zero bottles and cans in the UK in 2013.[96][97] Coca-Cola has also advertised its product to be consumed as a breakfast beverage, instead of coffee or tea for the morning caffeine.[98][99] Holiday campaigns A Freightliner Coca-Cola Christmas truck in Dresden, Germany. The Holidays are coming! advertisement features a train of red delivery trucks, emblazoned with the Coca-Cola name and decorated with Christmas lights, driving through a snowy landscape and causing everything that they pass to light up and people to watch as they pass through.[100] The advertisement fell into disuse in 2001, as the Coca-Cola company restructured its advertising campaigns so that advertising around the world was produced locally in each country, rather than centrally in the companys headquarters in Atlanta, Georgia.[101] In 2007, the company brought back the campaign after, according to the company, many consumers telephoned its information center saying that they considered it to mark the beginning of Christmas.[100] The advertisement was created by U.S. advertising agency Doner, and has been part of the companys global advertising campaign for many years.[102] Keith Law, a producer and writer of commercials for Belfast CityBeat, was not convinced by Coca-Colas reintroduction of the advertisement in 2007, saying that I dont think theres anything Christmassy about HGVs and the commercial is too generic.[103] In 2001, singer Melanie Thornton recorded the campaigns advertising jingle as a single, Wonderful Dream (Holidays are Coming), which entered the pop-music charts in Germany at no. 9.[104][105] In 2005, Coca-Cola expanded the advertising campaign to radio, employing several variations of the jingle.[106] In 2011, Coca-Cola launched a campaign for the Indian holiday Diwali. The campaign included commercials, a song and an integration with Shah Rukh Khan’s film Ra.One.[107][108][109] Sports sponsorship 1952 Summer Olympics in Helsinki. Coca-Cola vending point Coca-Cola was the first commercial sponsor of the Olympic games, at the 1928 games in Amsterdam, and has been an Olympics sponsor ever since.[110] This corporate sponsorship included the 1996 Summer Olympics hosted in Atlanta, which allowed Coca-Cola to spotlight its hometown. Most recently, Coca-Cola has released localized commercials for the 2010 Winter Olympics in Vancouver; one Canadian commercial referred to Canadas hockey heritage and was modified after Canada won the gold medal game on February 28, 2010 by changing the ending line of the commercial to say Now they know whose game theyre playing.[111] Since 1978, Coca-Cola has sponsored the FIFA World Cup, and other competitions organised by FIFA. One FIFA tournament trophy, the FIFA World Youth Championship from Tunisia in 1977 to Malaysia in 1997, was called FIFA — Coca Cola Cup.[112] In addition, Coca-Cola sponsors the annual Coca-Cola 600 and Coke Zero 400 for the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series at Charlotte Motor Speedway in Concord, North Carolina and Daytona International Speedway in Daytona, Florida. Coca-Cola has a long history of sports marketing relationships, which over the years have included Major League Baseball, the National Football League, the National Basketball Association, and the National Hockey League, as well as with many teams within those leagues. Coca-Cola has had a longtime relationship with the NFLs Pittsburgh Steelers, due in part to the now-famous 1979 television commercial featuring Mean Joe Greene, leading to the two opening the Coca-Cola Great Hall at Heinz Field in 2001 and a more recent Coca-Cola Zero commercial featuring Troy Polamalu. Coca-Cola is the official soft drink of many collegiate football teams throughout the nation, partly due to Coca-Cola providing those schools with upgraded athletic facilities in exchange for Coca-Colas sponsorship. This is especially prevalent at the high school level, which is more dependent on such contracts due to tighter budgets. Coca-Cola was one of the official sponsors of the 1996 Cricket World Cup held on the Indian subcontinent. Coca Cola is also one of the associate sponsor of Delhi Daredevils in Indian Premier League. In England, Coca-Cola was the main sponsor of The Football League between 2004 and 2010, a name given to the three professional divisions below the Premier League in football (soccer). In 2005, Coca-Cola launched a competition for the 72 clubs of the football league — it was called Win a Player. This allowed fans to place one vote per day for their favorite club, with one entry being chosen at random earning £250,000 for the club; this was repeated in 2006. The Win A Player competition was very controversial, as at the end of the 2 competitions, Leeds United A.F.C. had the most votes by more than double, yet they did not win any money to spend on a new player for the club. In 2007, the competition changed to Buy a Player. This competition allowed fans to buy a bottle of Coca-Cola or Coca-Cola Zero and submit the code on the wrapper on the Coca-Cola website. This code could then earn anything from 50p to £100,000 for a club of their choice. This competition was favored over the old Win a Player competition, as it allowed all clubs to win some money. Between 1992 and 1998, Coca-Cola was the title sponsor of the Football League Cup (Coca-Cola Cup), the secondary cup tournament of England. Introduced March 1, 2010, in Canada, to celebrate the 2010 Winter Olympics, Coca Cola sold gold colored cans in packs of 12 355 mL each, in select stores.[113] In 2012, Coca-Cola (Philippines) hosted/sponsored the Coca-Cola PBA Youngstars in the Philippines. In mass media Coca Cola advertised on a Volkswagen T2 in Maringá, Paraná, Brazil. Coca-Cola has been prominently featured in countless films and television programs. Since its creation, it remains as one of the most important elements of the popular culture.[citation needed] It was a major plot element in films such as One, Two, Three, The Coca-Cola Kid, and The Gods Must Be Crazy among many others. It provides a setting for comical corporate shenanigans in the novel Syrup by Maxx Barry. And in music, in The Beatles song, Come Together, the lyrics said, He shoot Coca-Cola, he say.... The Beach Boys also referenced Coca-Cola in their 1964 song All Summer Long (i.e. Member when you spilled Coke all over your blouse?)[114] Also, the best selling artist of all time and worldwide cultural icon,[115] Elvis Presley, promoted Coca-Cola during his last tour of 1977.[116] The Coca-Cola Company used Elvis image to promote the product.[117] For example, the company used a song performed by Presley, A Little Less Conversation, in a Japanese Coca-Cola commercial.[118] Other artists that promoted Coca-Cola include The Beatles, David Bowie,[119] George Michael,[120] Elton John[121] and Whitney Houston,[122] who appeared in the Diet Coca-Cola commercial, among many others. Not all musical references to Coca-Cola went well. A line in Lola by The Kinks was originally recorded as You drink champagne and it tastes just like Coca-Cola. When the British Broadcasting Corporation refused to play the song because of the commercial reference, lead singer Ray Davies was forced to fly from New York to London and re-record the lyric as it tastes just like cherry cola to get airplay for the song.[123] Political cartoonist Michel Kichka satirized a Coca-Cola billboard in his 1982 poster And I Love New York. On the billboard, the lettering and script above the Coca-Cola wave read Enjoy Cocaine.[124] Criticism Main article: Criticism of Coca-Cola Coca-Cola has been criticized for alleged adverse health effects, its aggressive marketing to children, exploitative labor practices, high levels of pesticides in its products, building plants in Nazi Germany which employed slave labor, environmental destruction, monopolistic business practices, and hiring paramilitary units to murder trade union leaders. In October 2009, in an effort to improve their image, Coca-Cola partnered with the American Academy of Family Physicians, providing a $500,000 grant to help promote healthy-lifestyle education; the partnership spawned sharp criticism of both Coca-Cola and the AAFP by physicians and nutritionists.[125][better source needed] Bolivia has been reported to consider banning Coca-Cola prior to January 2013.[126] Health effects Studies indicate soda and sweetened drinks are the main source of calories in [the] American diet,[127] so most nutritionists advise that Coca-Cola and other soft drinks can be harmful if consumed excessively, particularly to young children whose soft drink consumption competes with, rather than complements, a balanced diet. Studies have shown that regular soft drink users have a lower intake of calcium, magnesium, ascorbic acid, riboflavin, and vitamin A.[128] The drink has also aroused criticism for its use of caffeine, which can cause physical dependence (caffeine addiction).[129] A link has been shown between long-term regular cola intake and osteoporosis in older women (but not men).[130] This was thought to be due to the presence of phosphoric acid, and the risk was found to be same for caffeinated and noncaffeinated colas, as well as the same for diet and sugared colas. A common criticism of Coke based on its allegedly toxic acidity levels has been found to be baseless by researchers; lawsuits based on these notions have been dismissed by several American courts for this reason. Although numerous court cases have been filed against The Coca-Cola Company since the 1920s, alleging that the acidity of the drink is dangerous, no evidence corroborating this claim has been found. Under normal conditions, scientific evidence indicates Coca-Colas acidity causes no immediate harm.[131] Since 1980 in the U.S., Coke has been made with high-fructose corn syrup (HFCS) as an ingredient. Originally it was used in combination with more expensive cane-sugar, but by late 1984 the formulation was sweetened entirely with HFCS. Some nutritionists caution against consumption of HFCS because it may aggravate obesity and type-2 diabetes more than cane sugar.[132] In India, there is a controversy whether there are pesticides and other harmful chemicals in bottled products, including Coca-Cola. In 2003 the Centre for Science and Environment (CSE), a non-governmental organization in New Delhi, said aerated waters produced by soft drinks manufacturers in India, including multinational giants PepsiCo and Coca-Cola, contained toxins including lindane, DDT, malathion and chlorpyrifos — pesticides that can contribute to cancer and a breakdown of the immune system. CSE found that the Indian-produced Pepsis soft drink products had 36 times the level of pesticide residues permitted under European Union regulations; Coca-Colas soft drink was found to have 30 times the permitted amount. CSE said it had tested the same products sold in the U.S. and found no such residues.[133] After the pesticide allegations were made in 2003, Coca-Cola sales in India declined by 15 percent. In 2004 an Indian parliamentary committee backed up CSEs findings and a government-appointed committee was tasked with developing the worlds first pesticide standards for soft drinks. The Coca-Cola Company has responded that its plants filter water to remove potential contaminants and that its products are tested for pesticides and must meet minimum health standards before they are distributed.[134] In the Indian state of Kerala sale and production of Coca-Cola, along with other soft drinks, was initially banned after the allegations, until the High Court in Kerala overturned ruled that only the federal government can ban food products. Coca-Cola has also been accused of excessive water usage in India.[135] The 2008 Ig Nobel Prize (a parody of the Nobel Prizes) in Chemistry was awarded to Sheree Umpierre, Joseph Hill, and Deborah Anderson, for discovering that Coca-Cola is an effective spermicide,[136] and to C.Y. Hong, C.C. Shieh, P. Wu, and B.N. Chiang for proving it is not.[137][138] Allergy Coca Cola has been implicated in certain allergic reactions. In a case study in Switzerland, a woman who was allergic to Balsam of Peru was allergic to her boyfriends semen following intercourse, after he drank large amounts of Coca Cola.[139][140][141][142] Use as political and corporate symbol Coca-Cola advertising in High Atlas mountains of Morocco A mock-up of the Coke dispenser flown aboard the Space Shuttle in 1996 (US) Coca-Cola has a high degree of identification with the United States, being considered by some an American Brand or as an item representing America. During World War II, this gave rise to brief production of the White Coke as a neutral brand.[143] The identification with the spread of American culture has led to the pun Coca-Colanization.[87][144] The drink is also often a metonym for the Coca-Cola Company. There are some consumer boycotts of Coca-Cola in Arab countries due to Cokes early investment in Israel during the Arab League boycott of Israel (its competitor Pepsi stayed out of Israel).[145] Mecca Cola and Pepsi have been successful[vague] alternatives in the Middle East.[146] A Coca-Cola fountain dispenser (officially a Fluids Generic Bioprocessing Apparatus-2 or FGBA-2) was developed for use on the Space Shuttle as a test bed to determine if carbonated beverages can be produced from separately stored carbon dioxide, water and flavored syrups and determine if the resulting fluids can be made available for consumption without bubble nucleation and resulting foam formation. The unit flew in 1996 aboard STS-77 and held 1.65 liters each of Coca-Cola and Diet Coke.[147] Social causes In 2012, Coca-Cola is listed as a partner of the (RED) campaign, together with other brands such as Nike, Girl, American Express and Converse. The campaigns mission is to prevent the transmission of the HIV virus from mother to child by 2015 (the campaigns byline is Fighting For An AIDS Free Generation).[148] See also Portal icon Food portal Portal icon Drink portal Portal icon United States portal Portal icon Georgia (U.S. state) portal Portal icon Atlanta portal Coca Colla Colalife Fanta List of Coca-Cola brands Pembertons French Wine Coca Mexican Coke OpenCola (drink) Premix and postmix
Posted on: Sat, 16 Aug 2014 23:29:14 +0000
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